MGT-217 notes
Tuesday/Thursday 9:45-11:00
Lecture #1: 9/3:
Pre-recorded lecture notes:
● Organizational behavior definition: A field of study focused on understanding,
explaining, and improving attitudes of individuals and groups in organizations
● Why do we care?
○ To explain behavior - explaining how a person acts
○ Predict behavior - if an organizational change occurs, how will people
react/perform with the change?
○ Influence behavior - can help the organization push people to meet company's
goals, and influence people's behavior. It will help make the employees
happier
● Understanding organizational behavior, will help give us a competitive advantage
going into the job market, because we will understand how organizational decisions
will have an impact on employees
● There are four different functions of management, they are:
○ Planning - taking the current structure of organization, and looking at how to
move forward (What is our company's strategy/vision?)
○ Organizing - arranging the resources we have to implement that strategy - how
do we organize people in order to accomplish and move forward with the
goal?
○ Leading - motivating and communicating with people. After we figure out
how to arrange people, how do we motivate them to accomplish their goals?
○ Controlling - keeping track of milestones. Your initial reaction when you reach
a tight situation, such as laying off people. Human capital is an inimitable
asset. It's hard to replace employees. (Human capital is: rare, valuable, and
inimitable) - Nonsubstitutable is NOT part of it
In class notes 9/3:
● Most classes that are live will be 60 minutes, with about 15-20 minutes of recorded
videos to watch after our class
● Check blackboard for week 2, and work on stuff for Tuesday (9/8 & 9/10)
● Exams - We will have 3 exams, broken up into ⅓ of the course for each, in terms of
material. These will be taken during class. Our lowest score of the 3 will be dropped
● Quizzes - on pre-lecture videos, and info from the textbook as well. The 3 lowest
quizzes get dropped, and we will have 2 attempts per quiz
● Homework: There are 10 HW’s - they will be a worksheet about the textbook, and
reading assignments
● Look at OB Course Content for week in blackboard - content is already in blackboard
● OB in the new presentation and analysis
,● We will choose a date to present on an OB related topic. Deliverable is: 2 page typed
MLA about news topic/analysis of it
● Look at: “OB in the news presentation article rubric”
● We have to participate in 2 research studies (50 points) - look at syllabus for more
information
● Research participation alternative: do tonight/this weekend
Before next class:
○ Check blackboard for more information for this week/next week
○ Look at 3 ethics handouts
○ Do: 1) Introduce yourself to the class, and 2) Syllabus quiz
○ I have done both of these
Ethics handout #1 notes:
● Ethical dilemmas are more common than we might think in business
● Bribery, corruption, and anti-competition only accounted for 16% of ethical
dilemmas, reported between 2011-2016
● Companies can warp their own ethical climate by pushing too much change from the
top, too quickly, and too frequently. If any of these happen, it is more likely that one
of the following will result: implement staff reduction, dispose of big business in
major markets, and lead mergers and acquisitions
● People do what they are rewarded to do
● Ethical dilemmas are different in a global environment, compared to a non-global one
● Rules and regulations usually do not cover ethical issues
● There are a number of things that can help you in a situation like this though, they are:
emotional intelligence, self-awareness, organizational intelligence, as well as
emotional self-control.
● Learn about what really matters in the organization - the true values
● How people are paid: Are people rewarded in the right way? Is it for short-term, or
long term success? Are the right staff included?
● What is the promotional structure of the company? And is it done fairly?
● How the employees feel about the company is huge. We want the employees to be
happy and excited about working for the company, and enjoy being there. There has
to be trust and respect between employees and managers
● One’s personal network is extremely strong for helping to solve ethical dilemmas
● Speaking up, about any ethical (or managerial) issues that arise is very important
-with speaking up you have to decide whether you talk to the boss, or consult your
coworkers about the issue
, Ethics handout #2 notes
● Most companies have ethical and compliance policies that managers and employees
review annually
● It takes more than a value statement or compliance policy to maintain an ethical
standard
● Corporate ethical failures are unfortunately common, and are expensive when they do
occur
● Organizations set themselves up for ethical disasters by creating environments where
people feel the need to make decisions they could not have imagined they would have
had to make
● There are 5 main ways that organizations provoke people to make unethical choices:
○ It is psychologically unsafe to speak up: Employees may feel that the culture
created within the business does not create an environment where they feel
like they are allowed to speak up. As a boss you need to confront the two main
challenges presented to employees when they think of speaking up: 1) A
feeling of futility - speaking up is not worth it, and no one will hear. 2) The
natural fear that speaking up will lead to harsh actions
○ There is excessive pressure to reach unrealistic performance targets: Pushing
people to reach unattainable goals, has been shown, per an HBS study, pushes
people to make choices that are comprising, in order to work to reach those
targets
○ Conflicting goals provoke a sense of unfairness: An employee's sense of
fairness within an organization, and their conscious choice to sabotage an
organization has a direct correlation, and goals of the organization has a huge
part in whether they feel like they are treated fairly/make these types of
decisions or not. Many people think ethics is something you talk about only if
something unethical occurs. It is important to talk about the positive results of
ethical behavior, not just the negative side of things
○ A positive example isn’t being set: If a good ethical base does not exist in the
company, set by the boss/manager, the employees are more likely to act in an
unethical manner as well
Ethics handout #3 notes
● Making an ethical decision is much easier to do in a classroom, or exercise than it is
in actual day to day decision making
● There are 3 obstacles that make ethical decision making more difficult in the moment,
and in real practice, compared to in a classroom.
○ Firstly, in exercises the consequences are identified for the participants, so
they already know what the result of their choices will be
○ Another factor that presents an obstacle is training/experience. Training
presents different points of view, and different judgements, compared to just
, doing an exercise, one would be looking at the issue from an objective
viewpoint
○ Many decisions will be made quickly, instead of giving an hour or so for
thinking and decision making. Being under pressure when having to make a
decision, makes it more likely that someone would act in an unethical manner
as well
● The challenge for companies, is to create environments where employees and
managers, are persuaded to make ethical decisions
● With this, managers need to train and prepare for any big decisions that they are going
to face in the future, and have an idea about how they are going to go about attacking
them
● Look at Research Alternative (Word Doc), this weekend. I also emailed it to myself!
Lecture #2: 9/8:
Pre-recorded lecture notes- video #1:
● Types of diversity:
○ Surface level diversity: Age and generational differences, Race and Ethnicity,
Gender and Sexuality, and Physical and mental ability
○ Deep level diversity: Personality traits, Values, Attitudes, and Beliefs
● Ethnicity, race, diversity, cultural diversity, are all very important in the workplace, as
people will be more accepting of others, and be able to stay open minded
● Diversity is important for occupying an equal/fair amount of spots within the
workplace
● Most organizations, you will see that women are underrepresented
● Women are still affected by the glass ceiling, and they are paid significantly less for
doing the same jobs
● LGBTQ regulations differ by state - some states, you could be fired for disclosing
your gender identity. This was just changed on June 15th, 2020, where a law was
passed that you can’t descrimminate against LGBTQ
● Physical and mental ability- in the U.S., more than 50 million people have some sort
of disability
● Creating a supportive and inclusive culture, helps everyone feel more welcome,
especially those with some sort of disability
● Diversity is huge, when seeking a competitive advantage in the marketplace
● There is a positive correlation between diversity, and stock returns, profits, as well as
things such as motivation in the workplace
● Stimulating diversity is the right thing to do
Pre-recorded lecture notes -video #2:
● Difference between diversity and inclusion:
Tuesday/Thursday 9:45-11:00
Lecture #1: 9/3:
Pre-recorded lecture notes:
● Organizational behavior definition: A field of study focused on understanding,
explaining, and improving attitudes of individuals and groups in organizations
● Why do we care?
○ To explain behavior - explaining how a person acts
○ Predict behavior - if an organizational change occurs, how will people
react/perform with the change?
○ Influence behavior - can help the organization push people to meet company's
goals, and influence people's behavior. It will help make the employees
happier
● Understanding organizational behavior, will help give us a competitive advantage
going into the job market, because we will understand how organizational decisions
will have an impact on employees
● There are four different functions of management, they are:
○ Planning - taking the current structure of organization, and looking at how to
move forward (What is our company's strategy/vision?)
○ Organizing - arranging the resources we have to implement that strategy - how
do we organize people in order to accomplish and move forward with the
goal?
○ Leading - motivating and communicating with people. After we figure out
how to arrange people, how do we motivate them to accomplish their goals?
○ Controlling - keeping track of milestones. Your initial reaction when you reach
a tight situation, such as laying off people. Human capital is an inimitable
asset. It's hard to replace employees. (Human capital is: rare, valuable, and
inimitable) - Nonsubstitutable is NOT part of it
In class notes 9/3:
● Most classes that are live will be 60 minutes, with about 15-20 minutes of recorded
videos to watch after our class
● Check blackboard for week 2, and work on stuff for Tuesday (9/8 & 9/10)
● Exams - We will have 3 exams, broken up into ⅓ of the course for each, in terms of
material. These will be taken during class. Our lowest score of the 3 will be dropped
● Quizzes - on pre-lecture videos, and info from the textbook as well. The 3 lowest
quizzes get dropped, and we will have 2 attempts per quiz
● Homework: There are 10 HW’s - they will be a worksheet about the textbook, and
reading assignments
● Look at OB Course Content for week in blackboard - content is already in blackboard
● OB in the new presentation and analysis
,● We will choose a date to present on an OB related topic. Deliverable is: 2 page typed
MLA about news topic/analysis of it
● Look at: “OB in the news presentation article rubric”
● We have to participate in 2 research studies (50 points) - look at syllabus for more
information
● Research participation alternative: do tonight/this weekend
Before next class:
○ Check blackboard for more information for this week/next week
○ Look at 3 ethics handouts
○ Do: 1) Introduce yourself to the class, and 2) Syllabus quiz
○ I have done both of these
Ethics handout #1 notes:
● Ethical dilemmas are more common than we might think in business
● Bribery, corruption, and anti-competition only accounted for 16% of ethical
dilemmas, reported between 2011-2016
● Companies can warp their own ethical climate by pushing too much change from the
top, too quickly, and too frequently. If any of these happen, it is more likely that one
of the following will result: implement staff reduction, dispose of big business in
major markets, and lead mergers and acquisitions
● People do what they are rewarded to do
● Ethical dilemmas are different in a global environment, compared to a non-global one
● Rules and regulations usually do not cover ethical issues
● There are a number of things that can help you in a situation like this though, they are:
emotional intelligence, self-awareness, organizational intelligence, as well as
emotional self-control.
● Learn about what really matters in the organization - the true values
● How people are paid: Are people rewarded in the right way? Is it for short-term, or
long term success? Are the right staff included?
● What is the promotional structure of the company? And is it done fairly?
● How the employees feel about the company is huge. We want the employees to be
happy and excited about working for the company, and enjoy being there. There has
to be trust and respect between employees and managers
● One’s personal network is extremely strong for helping to solve ethical dilemmas
● Speaking up, about any ethical (or managerial) issues that arise is very important
-with speaking up you have to decide whether you talk to the boss, or consult your
coworkers about the issue
, Ethics handout #2 notes
● Most companies have ethical and compliance policies that managers and employees
review annually
● It takes more than a value statement or compliance policy to maintain an ethical
standard
● Corporate ethical failures are unfortunately common, and are expensive when they do
occur
● Organizations set themselves up for ethical disasters by creating environments where
people feel the need to make decisions they could not have imagined they would have
had to make
● There are 5 main ways that organizations provoke people to make unethical choices:
○ It is psychologically unsafe to speak up: Employees may feel that the culture
created within the business does not create an environment where they feel
like they are allowed to speak up. As a boss you need to confront the two main
challenges presented to employees when they think of speaking up: 1) A
feeling of futility - speaking up is not worth it, and no one will hear. 2) The
natural fear that speaking up will lead to harsh actions
○ There is excessive pressure to reach unrealistic performance targets: Pushing
people to reach unattainable goals, has been shown, per an HBS study, pushes
people to make choices that are comprising, in order to work to reach those
targets
○ Conflicting goals provoke a sense of unfairness: An employee's sense of
fairness within an organization, and their conscious choice to sabotage an
organization has a direct correlation, and goals of the organization has a huge
part in whether they feel like they are treated fairly/make these types of
decisions or not. Many people think ethics is something you talk about only if
something unethical occurs. It is important to talk about the positive results of
ethical behavior, not just the negative side of things
○ A positive example isn’t being set: If a good ethical base does not exist in the
company, set by the boss/manager, the employees are more likely to act in an
unethical manner as well
Ethics handout #3 notes
● Making an ethical decision is much easier to do in a classroom, or exercise than it is
in actual day to day decision making
● There are 3 obstacles that make ethical decision making more difficult in the moment,
and in real practice, compared to in a classroom.
○ Firstly, in exercises the consequences are identified for the participants, so
they already know what the result of their choices will be
○ Another factor that presents an obstacle is training/experience. Training
presents different points of view, and different judgements, compared to just
, doing an exercise, one would be looking at the issue from an objective
viewpoint
○ Many decisions will be made quickly, instead of giving an hour or so for
thinking and decision making. Being under pressure when having to make a
decision, makes it more likely that someone would act in an unethical manner
as well
● The challenge for companies, is to create environments where employees and
managers, are persuaded to make ethical decisions
● With this, managers need to train and prepare for any big decisions that they are going
to face in the future, and have an idea about how they are going to go about attacking
them
● Look at Research Alternative (Word Doc), this weekend. I also emailed it to myself!
Lecture #2: 9/8:
Pre-recorded lecture notes- video #1:
● Types of diversity:
○ Surface level diversity: Age and generational differences, Race and Ethnicity,
Gender and Sexuality, and Physical and mental ability
○ Deep level diversity: Personality traits, Values, Attitudes, and Beliefs
● Ethnicity, race, diversity, cultural diversity, are all very important in the workplace, as
people will be more accepting of others, and be able to stay open minded
● Diversity is important for occupying an equal/fair amount of spots within the
workplace
● Most organizations, you will see that women are underrepresented
● Women are still affected by the glass ceiling, and they are paid significantly less for
doing the same jobs
● LGBTQ regulations differ by state - some states, you could be fired for disclosing
your gender identity. This was just changed on June 15th, 2020, where a law was
passed that you can’t descrimminate against LGBTQ
● Physical and mental ability- in the U.S., more than 50 million people have some sort
of disability
● Creating a supportive and inclusive culture, helps everyone feel more welcome,
especially those with some sort of disability
● Diversity is huge, when seeking a competitive advantage in the marketplace
● There is a positive correlation between diversity, and stock returns, profits, as well as
things such as motivation in the workplace
● Stimulating diversity is the right thing to do
Pre-recorded lecture notes -video #2:
● Difference between diversity and inclusion:
